Body-belt.



` NoI 733,092. PATENTED JULY 7, 1903.

\ 0 vm. TBUPEL. 1" BODY BELT.

" APPLIUATION FILED APB.. 26, 1902.

" N0 MODEL.

' when the stomach part of' the binder or belt sequence of the notches cut in the ends of the `this altering form it is necessary that the side )parts of the stomacher should be able to con- Patented July 7, 1903; y

PATENT @Pricing i WILHELM 'LIS TEFEL, OF sTUTTeART, eERMA,

BODY

BELT;

l srnorrrcarron forming part of Letters Patent N. 733,092, dated July 7,1963.

Application lecl April 26, 1902.

.To a/ZZ whom 4it may concern,.-

4Be it known that I, WILHELM J ULIUs TEU- EEL, acitizen of the German Empire, residing at Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of VViirtem` berg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful` Improvements in or Connected with Body-Belts, Corsets, and the Like, of which the following isa description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

The object of this invention is to obtain a variable elastic body-belt, and for this object the belt is provided with arpeculiar stomachpiece or stomacher, which always exactly fol-`l lows the form of the body without formingf creases even where there is a great alteration of form. This action of the stomach-piece is obtained by its peculiar shape, combined, if desired, with the use of a material which in itself is known already, but is .here employed in a peculiar manner, This improved stomach-piece is provided on both sides with slits or notches, and on the flaps remaining between these notches bands or strips are fastened, by means of which the stomacher may be suitably tightened in any position or height, while always fitting without any formation of creases iiat on the abdomen, no matter what form the latter may have, in constomacher. By the use of so-called f rectangular material for the stomacher in which the threads lie transversely to the direction of the binder the action of the stomacher is strengthened, such fabrics being much more resistant than stockinet, for instance, and yet having sufficient elasticity in consequenceof the transverse position of the threads which1 do not shrink crookedly.

The abdomen has, as is well known, a varying more or less arched spherical forni, and

is intended to always exactly iit itself to suit tract and expand. In the body-belts hitherto employed this is not the case. It is true that in some body-belts an adjustment of the stomacher above and below may take place, but no contraction or extension of the sides is possible, and therefore when the belt is considerably taken in or let out folds are Serial No. 104|858. (No model.)

formed at the sides of the stomacher even when the latter was originally carefully fitted to a given shape of the abdomen. If the sides or ends of the stomacher are specially stiffened, these stiffeners bend and only partially rest on the abdomen, whereby a one-sided pressure on the wall of the abdomen is produced. If, further, stockinet be employed for j, the stomacher in body-belts which are more particularly intended for use in the case of corpulency or the like the following drawbacks arise: The stockinet material, which is elastic in all directions, expands and the stomach part of it contracts over the central part of the abdomen which has the greatest curvature and where the belt has yalways to withstand a greater pressure than above or below, and the upper and under part of the stomacher each being provided with fastening-bands cannot expan d. In wearing the belt, therefore, there is formed in the center of the stockinet stomacher an enlargement which remains curvedin a spherical forrn,which causes it in the case of altera tion in shape ofthe abdomen to only support the latter by its edges. As, however, by the wearin g of su ch body-belts according to their object the abdomen is reduced in size and curvature, an adjustment more particularly of the stomacher is necessary; but in consequence of the adjusting devices hitherto employed it can only be adjusted uniformly circularly until the upper and under bands of the stomacher, which bands are rendered inelastic by the fastening-strips, lie iiat on the abdomen. The expanded center part of the belt, however, does not fit closely to the abdomen. The adjustability therefore lceases for this part, for which it should be straps and shoulder-bands is found very annoying and inconvenient and rapidly causes chafing. All these drawbacks are removed by the stomacher of this improved body-ebelt, which is shown in one form of construction in the accompanying` drawing.

The stomach part a has iiaps b formed thereon by notches or slits being,` cut at each side, to which flaps the fastening bands, straps, or the like c for adj usting the belt are y., attached. The upper and under and, what is the essential feature, the central part of the beltmay thus as shown be drawn tighter or let out independently of one another in a sufiicient and suitable manner without the formation of folds or creases. In consequence of the great power of iitting and its considerable adj ustability the thigh-straps and shoulder-supports unavoidable in such belts require to be drawn inuch less tightly, which l renders the Wearing of such straps considerably less unpleasant. If, further, the stomacher be formed of rectangular fabric, which is cut transversely from the material-*that is to say, the threads lying transversely to the direction of the belt-it is elastic in all directionsthat is to say, upward or downward. Its power of stretching,` is, however, :more limited, but still quite suicient. On the other hand, its durability is greatly increased, and also the result is obtained that on the pull on the stomacher being released it returns to its original form, which again considerably increases the utility of the body-belt.

The back part of the body-belt, as well as the means for connecting' the stomaclier and the back part, may be arranged in any known manner. 4

Having now particularly described and as# certained the nature of my said invention and `in what manner the saine is to be performed; 

